"Mom, I'm bored!"

I love the boredom that comes in the summertime! Well, most of the time anyway. I didn't love it today at Costco when I had children jumping on the cart, teasing and arguing. I thought, "Gee I can't wait for my kids to be back in school." Then I remembered--I don't send my kids to school. Crud! Fortunately, an abundance of food samples were available for distraction.

But all that aside. . . most of the time I DO love boredom because it often leads to creativity and learning.

Last week Evan was really bored. Here's what he came up with:

He found this book and was intrigued when I told him that he could use it to memorize all the U.S. Presidents.

He was even more excited when I promised him ice cream if he actually did it.
Despite what the cover says, it took him longer than 20 minutes and he did have to work at it, but now he's got the presidents down!
Best of all he got excited to learn more and read one book about Abraham Lincoln and another one about Zachary Taylor.

His boredom also reminded him of my promise to let him use the sun oven we inherited from our neighbors. They bought it before Y2K, but left it behind when they moved.

He and his cousin Dallin made toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and even chocolate cake! Best of all, it kept them busy for hours!

Marianne and her cousin Alyssa were also really bored. They both love photography and so they asked me to come up with a photo scavenger hunt for them. They did a great job and took some really fun pictures. Alyssa ended up winning and I wish I had some of her pictures to show you. (You can see her reflection in the picture above). Here are a few photos that Marianne took for:

"Peace"

"Love"

and "A Wild Animal"

What adventures in boredom have you had this summer? Have you met any wild animals?

Happy 13th Birthday Marianne!

This cute little kewpie doll is my
baby Marianne!

As she grew up she became very determined, but still cute as ever.
When she was 2 years old, she asked to take a shower one morning. Because she was already dressed, I told her no. Then I turned on the water to heat up for my own shower. A minute later I got ready to jump in the shower and I found Marianne had beat me to it. She was taking a shower fully clothed. She was completely soaked, all the way down to her shoes and ruffled socks!

Now she's 13, still knows exactly what she wants, and still loves a long, hot shower!
She wanted an expensive camera for her birthday, but didn't want to give up a party with her friends. So we struck a deal. Mom & Dad paid for half of the camera and she could have a party provided she didn't spend any money. This wasn't easy for a girl who usually has elaborate invitations, decorations, games and party favors. But to her credit, she did it. She invited her friends to swim, have dinner and hang out. She made invitations from supplies she had on had and made all the food herself. She even made cake pops as party favors for her friends. You can read more about her party on her blog.

Happy Birthday to my girl--still as cute and sweet as ever!

Summer Fun!

Here are a few of my summer favorites . . .

Sunsets at the beach
(no sunscreen required and preferably only my feet get wet)

Evening concerts at the Spreckles Organ Pavillion

Spending time with my family

(My Grandma, Mom & Dad all enjoyed the organ concert too!)

Spending time with friends

Sheree always makes me laugh!

Hope you enjoyed this latest bug-free, bee sting-free post!
What are some of your summer favorites?

Summer . . . Fun?

Ahhh....

Nothing says summer like:

A dead june bug


or a hand that's ballooned to twice it's size.

I'm guessing these two pictures didn't put you in the mood to sip lemonade or head to the beach, but they are part of MY summer. Aren't I lucky?

Let me explain . . . . I have children who love to take pictures of flowers, leaves, butterflies and any of God's creations--including dead beetles. In fact I found 32 images of this particular dead june bug on my computer!

In keeping with the insect theme, Evan was stung by a bee yesterday at the end of his swimming lesson. He usually has bad reactions to bee stings, so we immediately went into high gear with a baking soda paste, essential oils, homeopathic remedies and benadryl. Unfortunately, none of it did any good. Today his hand was swollen to twice it's size. He kept ice on it and we headed to the doctor. The (over the counter) prescription: more benadryl plus zyrtec. The bad news: Watch for restricted blood flow & infection. It may take a week for the swelling to go down. Recommended: an appointment with an allergist.

Okay, I'll try to redeem myself with a more appropriate picture, even if it's a few days late.

Let Freedom Ring!

(And stay away from those bugs!)

Splash!

Remember when Marianne sold ALL those Girl Scout cookies? She's gotten to do some really fun things thanks to the money the girls earned. They've gone horseback riding, sailing, whale watching and much more. But this week was our favorite GS activity. We went to Sea World's Dolphin Encounter!

We got to pet Deke the dolphin. He's 8 years old and very friendly.

He also loves to splash . . .

Almost as much as he loves to jump!

But he didn't get us as wet as the Journey to Atlantis ride!

It was great to have a "girls' day" with my favorite girl!